Glory Days 2 - FAQ/Play Guide

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Glory Days 2 for Nintendo DS
Made by Odenis Studios
Published by Eidos / Secret Stash Games
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General Game Play
Choplifter meets 2D RTS. Players take the role of a helicoptor or aeroplane
and orders up units to attack the enemy base. The game is won or lost when one
side's HQ is destroyed by tank fire.
Resources (battle credits or war funds) are earned over time by holding onto
HQs and bunkers (the more the better) or by rescuing civilians ($1 per
civilian evacuated and a bonus for larger groups). Resources in turn are used
to requisition (or buy) a variety of strategic units to destroy the opposing
enemy.
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Player Units and Tech Levels
In Campaign, there are 16 stages, each with different rules of engagement
(settings) and technological levels. If you are only concerned with
Multiplayer and Battle, then you should have access to all the units and tech
levels (provided you clear at least stage 8 in the campaign). Note that tech
levels are selected for each side in Battle and Multiplayer modes.
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Helicoptor (Old Friend, Little Bird, Yelling Dog)
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The helicoptor plays very much like SEGA's Choplifter, except it has limited
ammunition against hard ground targets (tanks). This means you need to be
accurate with your bombs and missiles or you will suffer a major defeat as
armored forces roll over your territory.
All helicoptors have infinite gun ammunition to be used against other
helicoptors, planes, and infantry (strafing runs). Gun attacks will damage
tanks and jeeps but you need a lot of hits to take them out. The difference
between T3 and T2 helicoptors are smaller than a T2 and T1 helicoptor.
= T1 Helicoptor = This is the basic helicoptor, able to hold 8 infantry who
can be air dropped as paratroopers to forward bunkers. It has limited bombs
for use on enemy tanks; blowing up enemy tanks gives your forces the advantage
on the killing ground.
= T2 Helicoptor = While all helicoptors may hold a maximum of 8 civilians,
this helicoptor not only increases the number of carried paratroopers, it also
has missiles (fired when the helicoptor is tilted forward) which are faster
and does more damage than the bomb. The bad thing is that both bomb and
missile are pulled from the same ammo stock.
= T3 Helicoptor = The last chopper is not much different from the T2
helicoptor, but holds 12 infantry and is a lot faster (as fast as a plane
without afterburners). This extra burst of speed is what you need for those
rapid response missions to keep the enemy in check and to get civilians back
to base.
T2 and T3 helicoptor players have access to the special weapon "V2 missile",
which is a ground sited cruise missile at their respective HQ. See the special
weapons section for more about each weapon system.
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Aeroplane (Big Mama, Gray Falcon, Big Lion Cub)
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The aeroplane is a faster version of the helicoptor and while it cannot pick
up civilians, it can still attack ground targets and destroy enemy aircraft
with fantastic ease. Like the helicoptor, the aeroplane has limited ammunition
when engaging ground targets and given the high speed of the plane, more
attention needs to be used to keep the damn thing doing what you want (kill
tanks).
Higher level planes will have Air-to-Air missiles, which are activated by
pressing the D-Pad towards the direction of flight (a D-pad shortcut exists
for players using the touch pad for control). AA missiles home in on air
targets and a flurry of four missiles will nuke any air target with 100% life.
All aeroplanes have infinite gun ammunition to be used against other
helicoptors, planes, and infantry (strafing runs). Gun attacks will damage
tanks and jeeps but you need a lot of shots to take one out. Planes can also
do loops to evade choppers. planes and missiles by pressing D-pad opposite
twice (double tap plane for touch screen); bombs if launched during a loop,
will score double accuracy points if it hits something.
= T1 Aeroplane = This is the basic plane and emphasizes speed and rapid
firepower but nothing else. Use this vintage propellor plane to get used to
dogfighting without missiles.
= T2 Aeroplane = This aeroplane will have air to air missiles as well as an
afterburner (hold X). The afterburner lets your plane reach the front lines
quickly and few plane players should die unless they are not doing hit and run
tactics.
= T3 Aeroplane = This aeroplane is the exact same as the T2 plane (down to the
nose pitch -- button Y -- for strafing). It otherwise only differs in the
special weapons it can access.
T2 and T3 aeroplane players have access to a variety of special weapons. T1
and T3 planes have the parachute drop while in flight while T2 planes have the
carpet bomb ability. Only the T3 plane has an ability when parked on the
tarmac (at the airstrip). Check the special weapons section for more info.
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Computer Controlled Units and Tech Levels
Computer controlled units are not under your direct control although you can
create as many as you want (within limits of time and funding). All these
units do is march straight to the enemy HQ and fire at anything in their path
(except for civilians). Only the ambulance unit will reverse course, but
otherwise, it will continue forwards the inevitable:
- 1 - an enemy bunker or HQ will destroy the unit (or vice versa)
- 2 - an enemy unit will destroy the unit (or vice versa)
- 3 - an unoccupied bunker or gun position will be occupied (infantry only)
- 4 - reaches the opposing side's perimeter (ambulance only)
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Infantry
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Infantry is the only unit that can take over unoccupied bunkers. Other than
that, they are not useful except in dying. Although infantry can cancel each
other out on the battlefield, tanks are cheaper and take no losses from
infantry. With that in mind, only create infantry to drop on unoccupied
bunkers and gun positions and save your funds for other vehicles. Infantry
cannot destroy anything except other infantry without suffering horrible
losses.
= T1 and T2 Infantry = These units are identical in every respect, although it
is possible that the T2 infantry will shoot first.
= T3 Infantry = This infantry has the advantage of being deployed from the
most forward friendly "large" bunker, quickly shortening distance covered
(without using choppers). This one ability makes T3 matches fought over
bunkers (depends on the map). Press B instead of A to deploy T3 infantry at a
large forward bunkers (not all bunkers may do this). Note, this also disgorges
marines from choppers, if grounded.
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Battle Tank
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The tank is the mainstay battle unit of the game. It can destroy infantry and
jeeps without taking any appreciable losses, and it can destroy choppers if
they are grounded. Tanks are the only cheap unit you can rely on to destroy
enemy bunkers (making them unoccupied) and the only unit (aside from
artillery) to destroy the enemy HQ. For $2, that's cheap.
= T1 and T2 Tanks = These units are mostly identical, although the T2 tank is
marginally tougher.
= T3 Tank = This tank is the most dangerous since they have improved top and
front armor. This means it takes two missiles or bombs to destroy one. Only by
attacking from behind will this tank be vulnerable to a single shot bomb kill.
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Recon Jeep
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The jeep is the mobile anti-air unit of the game. It cannot destroy tanks but
it's a mobile anti-air unit. You can buy a jeep or a tank, and it's
recommended you seed a few jeeps along your tank column to provide anti-air
defence. For $2, that's cheap. All jeeps are the same, although T2 and T3
jeeps have homing missiles.
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Supply Truck
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The supply truck is a mobile HQ that restocks a plane's or chopper's missiles
(useless for the T1 plane). It can restock twice before the truck disappears
from the battle. Since it costs more than a tank, you need to be a great
chopper or plane pilot to use this (less so for planes since they can quickly
head back to the base with afterburner). A supply truck detonated will act
like the carpet bomb and kill many ground units (friendly or ally) that are
nearby.
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Ambulance
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This unit will automatically retrieve civilans and back up to the friendly HQ.
Destroying ambulances will reduce accuracy points and stop your fund raising
for a while. Ambulances are otherwise treated as automatic civilian grabbers
but tanks will not fire on them (aircraft will destroy some by accident if
they are close to enemy units). Ambulances head back to your HQ once they
reach the perimeter of the enemy HQ, with a large load of civilians.
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Artillery
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This is the best unit in the game and can literally destroy anything on the
ground if there was nothing attacking from the air. However it costs $8 (four
times the amount of regular tank) so making a lot of these drains your
resources. String out artillery along your tank line to create "stoppages"
along the tank column if your human opponents are relying on a simple tank
rush to take you down. A well placed artillery will crush any ground unit
unless they are massed together. Unlike tanks, artillery (at any tech level)
does not have the extra top and front armor like the T3 tanks, but they can
out-range them.
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Special Weapons and Tech Levels
Depending on the tech level, the special weapons are different for each
helicoptor and aeroplane player. Some weapons are used while in flight while
others are used when motionless at the base.
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= T1 Specials =
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Chopper - Nothing
Plane - While in flight, press the L button for paratroopers. You get free
infantry who parachute in and occupy bunkers. Otherwise, nothing else.
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= T2 Specials =
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Chopper - While on the landing pad, press the L button for the V2 missile.
This launches a cruise missile that can be sped up (press A) and can attack
enemies beyond the halfway point of the battlefield (but won't reach the enemy
HQ). The explosion is the same as the carpet bomb.
Plane - While in flight, press the L button for carpet bomb. A bomber will
appear and attack the area immediately beneath the fighter plane when L is
pressed. If there are no enemies there or if enemies move out of the way, the
attack is wasted. Typically helpful near the enemy HQ or a bunker with lots of
enemy AA guns.
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= T3 Specials =
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Chopper - While on the landing pad, press the L button for the V2 missile.
This launches a cruise missile that can be sped up (press A) and can attack
enemies beyond the halfway point of the battlefield (but won't reach the enemy
HQ). The explosion is the same as the carpet bomb.
Plane - While in flight, press the L button for paratroopers. You get free
infantry who parachute in and occupy bunkers. Otherwise, nothing else.
Plane - While on the airstrip, press the L button for a UAV. This weapon is
basically a remote chopper armed only with missiles (no guns). It moves almost
like the Lunar Lander (another great 2D game) and can fire 8 missiles before
it is useless. Press A to hover and tilt it to move left and right. Press B
for its missiles. Once it's empty, consider using it to suicide an enemy unit
or a bunker.
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Accuracy Points
When players make a bombing run on a ground target, accuracy points are
earned. 20 accuracy points will add one special weapon to the force stock (all
players share the same resources and special weapons stock). Although 20
points seems limiting, that's why you need to be accurate with ground targets.
If you fire a bomb while doing a loop in a plane, a successful hit doubles the
accuracy points.
The manual gives the following point list (which is mostly richt -- a shocker):
Successful Hit Hit results in destruction
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Miss -4 points n/a
Civilian n/a -10 points
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Infantry n/a +1 point
Tank +1 point +1 point
Jeep +1 point +5 points
Truck +1 point +3 points
Ambulance n/a -10 points
Enemy Bunker +1 point +3 points
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Unlocking Modes and Maps
New materials are unlocked for skirmish game (Battle) by completing Story Mode.
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For public dissemination.